New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-05-01
HEROES OF The VAR.
GENERAL sHERMAN's DEFENCE OF UNION
SOLDIERS.

SOLDIERS.
BOTH GRANT AND THOMAS GREATER THAN LEE
VIGOROUS REPLY TO LORD woLsELEY.
From General Shernans article The North american Re.
ufe0.
Lee unquestlonaby took the oath Virginia and the
command OF her 'army and navy" then myth, but it
is popular belief that he took the oath of al
TO %a ne woSoGsS %sn
June l, 1862, General Lee did succeed him. and did
command the Army OF Northern Virginia under the Con-
federate Government till the end at Appomattox. His
sphere OF action was however local He never rose to
generations, His Virginia was to him the world Though
familiar with the geography OF the interior of this great
against the Huns and Gohs Of the North and he did
It like valiant Knight, rs he He stood at the front
porch battling with the flames whilst the kitchen and
house were burning, sure In the end TO consume the
whole. Only twice, at Anetam and Gettysburg, did he
venture outside the offensive defensive In the first
instance he knew personally his ANTAGONIST and that
large FRACTION Of MS force would Sos be ne IN IN
beaten by Meade and forced to retreat back to Virginia.
As an aggressive soldier Lee was not success ana In war
that Is the true and proper test Nothing succeeds like
success Indeendng Virginia and Richmond he did all
man could, but TO HIM Virginia seemed the Confed-
eracy and he stayed there whilst the Northern armies
the West gaining the Mississippi. the Tennessee,
the Cumberland Georgia. south and North Carolina yea,
the Roanoke after which his military taught him
that further arryng In Richmond was absolute suicide.
Such Is the military hero which General Wolseey would
place in monument side by side with Washington, the
father OF his country First In war; first in peace and
rstm the hearts OF his countrymen" All that is good In
the character of General Robert Lee Is ours and
Will cherish It, and VIC VIII be charitable TO his weak
neSse5, but 80 long the public record tells OF u
Grant and George H. Thomas we cannot be at loss for
heroes for whom to erect monuments like those of Nelson
and Wellington In London well worthy stand side by
side with the one which now graces our Capitol City OF
q" George Washington"
OF absence ut his home at Arlington and u s. Grant
an humble citizen of Gaeua III. toling to support his
murmurs creeping over the land by reason OF the
election OF Mr. Lincoln, and the talk of
nounced that the United States flag had been fired in
Charleston Harbor. he reused up presided at public
organize themselves into company OF soldiers, and
along with them to Springfield In due time he
career from that day to this Is familiar to every school,
boy in the land. He moved in cooperation
with the gunpoat feet up the Tennessee to
where fortified place with is entire garrison Of
surrendered without conditions then on TO Shiloh
the war was fought which first convinced Southern
was equal 70 five Yankees that man to man was all they
wanted~t6en vicksburg Chattanooga everywhere VIC.
torous, everywhere successful, fulfilling the wise
Then he called for the first time in his life Wash
ngtou to command army OF perfect strangers under
conditions and in strange country Casting his
thoughts over a continent giving minute instruc-
lions for several distinct armies from
the Potomac to the Rio Grande himself assuming the
hardest share he began campain equal in strategy In
ogstic and in tactics to any OF Napoleon and grander
action in crossing the Rapdan in the face Of Lees army
fighting him in the Wilderness, forward by the left
flank" to spotsyvana, to Richmond, and Petersburg,
was the sublmity of heroism OF course he had SUI
perorty numbers and resources but nothing like the
he began in May ss the
ment with less numbers than Pemberton surren-
tanooga he attacked his enemy in the strongest position
possble strong. indeed that Bragg most thorough
had detached Longstreets corps Knoxville, of which
mistake Grant took prompt advantage, and | never
heard before that Bragg thought the pursuit after
his defeat was not quick and good enough to
suit him; and; finally, when Lee D,o was forced
Petersburg by Sherdans bold and skfu action at Five
Forks believe 1t conceded that the pursuit by sher
dan and Grant was so rapid that Lee was compelled to
surrender his whole army. Grants strategy" EN-
braced continent, Leo's small state; Grants
"ogstics" were to supply and transport armies thou
sands OF miles, where Lee was limited TO hundreds.
Grant had to conquer natural obstacles as well as hostile
armies and hostile people, his tactics were 10 hgnt
wherever and whenever he could capture or cripple his
his arms and surrendered, Grant, by tho stroke OF
his on the instant gave him and his men terms SO
men as generals will not institute comparison for the
mere statement OF the case establishes contrast
offer another name more nearly resembling General
Lee in personal characteristics. General George II.
Thomas probably less known in England but who has
aud affections OF the American people than General Lee
He, too was virginan. aud when Lee resigned from
the I'd Regular Cavalry graduate OF West Point OF the
class of 1910, who had served his country in the
against hostile Indians rising with honor and credit
through all the grades az each stage taxing the usual
whatsoever foreign and domestic When the storm OF
stand by his oath and TO Sh against his native state
10 maintain the common uuion OF our fathers In per
sonal appearance he resemblcd George Washington the
father Of country, and In all the attributes
OF manhood he was the peer OF General Lee, as
good II not n better, soldier, OF equal Intelligence
the same kind heart beloved to idolatry BY his Army OF
the Cumberland, exercising gentle, but strict usclp
line disturbed by false runors or real danger not
naturally aggressive but magnificent on the defenslve
almost the very counterpart OF his friend General Lee
but far exceling him in the moral aud patriotic line OF
action at the beginning OF the war Lee resigned MS com
mission when civil was certain, but Thomas re-
manned true 10 his oath and his duty always 10 the very
last minute OF his life During the whole war his services
were transcendent, winning the first substantial victory
at Mil Springs in Kentucky, January 20 1867 partlc
pang in all the campaigns OF the west III 1857 o3o4
and finally. December I6. 1864, annihating the army
of Hood, which in mdwntcr had advanced 70 Nashville
besiege him. In OF these battles Will General
WOseley pretend there such inequality OF numbers
as he refers to in the East
England and even some OF our Eastern States seem
to realize that the strength OF our country lies west
OF the Alleghanies They still see only the war In VIZ
gnia, and at furthest, Gettysburg The Civil War was
concluded when Vicksburg, Chattanooga and Atlanta
fell After these II only remained TO dispose Oh Ice
army. which promptly and scientifically done iau
General Wolseey met General Thomas at Chattanooga
IN 1864 his quick discerning mind would have reached
another conclusion. He would have doubted whether
single corps English troops with the best stall which
AerhOt out could have turned the scale after the
year 1862.
OF all governments earth. England Is the last to On
courage rebellion against lawful authority, and or all
should Justify and uphold treason Ireland to-day has
many times rebel against England which the
South had In SCI, and when some future Emmet mani,
transCendent qualities wncn scntlllate ana
sparkle in the Irish character, and some enthusiastic
American appaus him and awards him National hon0rs,
then will General Wolseley or his successor In once
the feelings OF in America, VINO, though
silent watch the worlds progress toward the conclusion
which truth and justice must stand triumphant over
for service in the Civil War the American
people will be fully prepared 10 select the subjects Will
tut hint or advice from abroad